Garlic Scape Pearl Barley Risotto
Garlic scapes are in season from late April- June. They are the flower stem of any hard-neck garlic variety and are much similar to asparagus in texture, but with a rich and creamy garlic taste. You can usually find them at your local farm shop, from your local market garden, or maybe from your own garden if you’re growing hard neck garlic this season.
This recipe comes from Hewood Organics - a certified organic market garden growing an abundance of beautiful organic vegetables, set just a few miles away from us on the Dorset border.
Garlic Scape Pearl Barley Risotto
Garlic scapes are in season from late April- June. They are the flower stem of any hard-neck garlic variety and are much similar to asparagus in texture, but with a rich and creamy garlic taste. You can usually find them at your local farm shop, from your local market garden, or maybe from your own garden if you’re growing hard neck garlic this season.
This recipe comes from Hewood Organics - a certified organic market garden growing an abundance of beautiful organic vegetables, set just a few miles away from us on the Dorset border.
- Serves: 4
- Prepare: 20 Minutes
- Cook: 40 Minutes
- Difficulty: easy
WHO ARE THE ORGANIC BUTCHERY?
Starting life as an organic farm in the heart of the West Country, The Organic Butchery is proudly founded on a long history of organic principles. We source the best quality organic grass-fed and wild meats, sustainable fish and organic free-range poultry from trusted local suppliers and like-minded brands to guarantee the highest standards of animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Our mission is to approach butchery with a whole-carcass perspective, to make the most of every animal that crosses our blocks, which means we offer you cuts that you will never see on the supermarket shelves.
Ingredients
- garlic scapes or asparagus
- kale or chard
- one-half bunch of spring onions
- half of a butternut squash
- 10g basil
- 100g oyster mushrooms
- 300g pearl barley
- 150ml white wine
- 100ml double cream
- 1 vegetable stock cube/pot
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
- grated cheddar - as much as you like!
Method
- Rinse and drain the pearl barley until the water is no longer cloudy. Drain excess water and pour over boiling water, 3 times the volume of the barley, and add bicarb. Place a lid on the pot, and leave to soak for 4 hours.
- Drain the water from the pearl barley, pour over boiling water once more, twice the volume of the barley, and add your vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and then cook on a low heat for 30 minutes.
- In another big pot, fry small, diced butternut squash and chopped garlic scapes or asparagus in a little oil and salt on a medium heat. Turning down the heat, add mushrooms and chopped chard or kale..
- Once everything is cooked, combine pearl barley with the vegetables and add cream and wine. Simmer on a low heat for a few minutes and serve topped with chopped spring onions, basil and cheddar, to your heart's delight.
Notes on the recipe: If you are using asparagus, cut the bottom inch off and save for a stew- this part can be tougher in texture and take longer to cook than the rest of the spear. For extra flavour, include 3 cloves garlic to the recipe when adding the mushrooms.
Other recipe ideas
WHO ARE THE ORGANIC BUTCHERY?
Starting life as an organic farm in the heart of the West Country, The Organic Butchery is proudly founded on a long history of organic principles. We source the best quality organic grass-fed and wild meats, sustainable fish and organic free-range poultry from trusted local suppliers and like-minded brands to guarantee the highest standards of animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Our mission is to approach butchery with a whole-carcass perspective, to make the most of every animal that crosses our blocks, which means we offer you cuts that you will never see on the supermarket shelves.